AIPT Comics: AfterShock launching YA imprint Seismic Press with ‘Rainbow Bridge’

Seismic Press kicks off its YA line with ‘Rainbow Bridge’ by Steve Orlando, Steve Foxe, and Valentina Brancati.

AfterShock Comics has announced they’re getting into the young adult game with a new imprint called Seismic Press. Along with this news, it was revealed the 12-18 range imprint will kick off with Rainbow Bridge by Steve Orlando, Steve Foxe, and Valentina Brancati this August.

“AfterShock’s mission has always been to push readers out of their comfort zones and defy expectations – providing top creators and up-and-coming storytellers with an opportunity to tell the stories they’ve always wanted to tell in the ways they’ve always wanted to tell them,” said Editor-in-Chief Mike Marts via press release sent to AIPT. “With SEISMIC PRESS, our mission is to apply the same high-quality approach to content, talent selection and presentation but extend it to a much wider audience and demographic.”

Rainbow Bridge will focus on the story of Andy, a boy whose canine best friend passes away just before he enters high school, leaving him alone and rudderless. The day before school starts, when Andy is at his lowest, he visits Rocket’s grave and unexpectedly summons the Rainbow Bridge, a gateway to a wondrous world where pets discover their afterlife. With roles reversed, Andy is there to support his childhood guardian during one last epic adventure as Rocket embarks on a fantasy quest to find his lost littermate while ultimately giving Andy the confidence he needs as he enters his high school years.

The future of Seismic Press is bright, as AfterShock has revealed new titles will be announced for 2022 including original works by How To Train Your Dragon’s Richard Ashley Hamilton and Ted Anderson (ORPHAN AGE). AfterShock will also repackage comics series already released for Seismic Press like The Lollipop Kids, written by Adam Glass and Aidan Glass with illustrations by Diego Yapur, and Oberon, written by Ryan Parrott and drawn by Milos Slavkovic.

For more on this news, read the official AfterShock press release below.

Los Angeles, CA (March 30, 2021)—AfterShock Comics, a division of AfterShock Media and the industry’s fastest-growing independent publishing company, today announced the debut of SEISMIC PRESS, a new imprint focused exclusively on groundbreaking content for readers in the 12-18 age range. SEISMIC PRESS will debut its first title, RAINBOW BRIDGE, from creators Steve Orlando and Steve Foxe and illustrator Valentina Brancati, this coming August.

Since the establishment of AfterShock as an independent comics and graphic novel publisher a little over five years ago, the company has worked with top creators to bring critically-acclaimed titles to an ever-growing audience of readers and genre enthusiasts. With a growing arsenal of new concepts for young adult (YA) readers from many of these leading creatives combined with the need for graphic novels among educators and booksellers to satisfy a growing demand, SEISMIC will package AfterShock’s quality, intelligence and commitment to cutting-edge storytelling in titles crafted for a younger audience of comic enthusiasts.

“AfterShock’s mission has always been to push readers out of their comfort zones and defy expectations – providing top creators and up-and-coming storytellers with an opportunity to tell the stories they’ve always wanted to tell in the ways they’ve always wanted to tell them,” said Editor-in-Chief Mike Marts. “With SEISMIC PRESS, our mission is to apply the same high-quality approach to content, talent selection and presentation but extend it to a much wider audience and demographic.”

SEISMIC’s inaugural title, RAINBOW RIDGE, from creators Steve Orlando and Steve Foxe, is slated for debut in late summer and will focus on the story of Andy, a boy whose canine best friend passes away just before he enters high school, leaving him alone and rudderless. The day before school starts, when Andy is at his lowest, he visits Rocket’s grave and unexpectedly summons the Rainbow Bridge, a gateway to a wondrous world where pets discover their afterlife. With roles reversed, Andy is there to support his childhood guardian during one last epic adventure as Rocket embarks on a fantasy quest to find his lost littermate while ultimately giving Andy the confidence he needs as he enters his high school years.

“Comics retailers and bookstores alike have benefited from the explosive growth in YA,” said Steve Rotterdam, SVP of Sales & Marketing. “We’re extremely excited by this opportunity to bring AfterShock levels of excitement and engagement to the category.”

Additional titles under the SEISMIC PRESS imprint will begin rolling forth at the start of 2022 and will include original works by How To Train Your Dragon’s Richard Ashley Hamilton and Ted Anderson (ORPHAN AGE). Plans for the line also include the repackaging of AfterShock series that have already demonstrated strong YA appeal, including THE LOLLIPOP KIDS, written by Adam Glass and Aidan Glass with illustrations by Diego Yapur, and OBERON, written by Ryan Parrott and drawn by Milos Slavkovi.

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